


Cops and Robbers

by kopycat_101



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adulthood, Adults, Aged-Up Character(s), Akumatized Main Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Future, Bi Disaster Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Bisexual Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Boys In Love, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Evil Lila Rossi, Falling In Love, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Gay Marc Anciel, Getting Together, Hawkmoth Defeat, Heroes & Heroines, Idiots in Love, Kidnapping, Lila Rossi Is Hawk Moth, Love Confessions, M/M, Men Crying, No Lila Rossi Redemption, POV Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Redemption, Slash, Slow Burn, Tension, Very loosely based on Megamind, Villains to Heroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:36:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26040514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101
Summary: The original Hawkmoth is gone, and Bustier’s class manage to graduate high school and become adults. However, villains are still on the loose.One villain in particular seems to have a fascination with Nathaniel Kurtzberg. So much so that Nathaniel is finding himself being kidnapped regularly, while said villain tries to flirt with him.(Future Fic AU. Reverser/Nathaniel, Marcnath.)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Comments: 27
Kudos: 77
Collections: MarcNath Fics!





	Cops and Robbers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Username8746489](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Username8746489/gifts).



> Me: haha funny story of Reverser kidnapping Nath, won't be very long  
> Me, 10k later: I am a clown and this is my circus-
> 
> Anyways, happy birthday UN! At least, I hope it's around your birthday?? If not happy early/late birthday.

* * *

“ _You’d like to be a member,_

_Of the human race,_

_You want to be a good boy,_

_But you couldn’t stand the taste_ ,”

—Cops and Robbers by The Hoosiers

* * *

Nathaniel Kurtzberg, for all intents and purposes, keeps to himself.

He stays in his own lane, he keeps his head down, and he doesn’t cause a fuss. He’s always the first to run away from danger and never sticks around when there’s an Akuma on the loose if he can help it. That just creates more problems for the heroes.

Nathaniel’s been in the middle of enough crazy shit to last a lifetime. It’s honestly incredible. And he’s fine with not being super involved in it. He can run away and hide, if it keeps him alive. Plus, it just makes for some good inspiration.

He had a steady source of inspiration at his fingertips for his Ladybug and Chat Noir comic. Not only did he himself get pulled into Akuma shenanigans, because his classmates were absolute trouble magnets, he had the one running the biggest news source on the Parisian heroes as a classmate as well.

Alya was dedicated, he’d give her that, even if she almost got herself killed on a daily basis to capture footage of Ladybug and Chat Noir for the Ladyblog. It’s a miracle she’s survived to graduate high school. Hell, it’s a miracle _all_ of them did, from the infamously dubbed ‘Akuma Class’. And that Hawkmoth was captured.

Or, so they’d first believed.

Another Hawkmoth apparently took the previous one’s place, following in Gabriel Agreste’s footsteps. And they’re much craftier, keeping to the shadows, barely if ever kicking up a fuss.

Thusly, the Akuma are still a thing. So there’s still villains. Which is incredibly nerve wracking, especially when one never knows when the newest iteration of Hawkmoth will strike. But at least the villains are much rarer to come across than before, and they’re not as…violent? Outright chaotic? As the past ones.

Prime example being the villain that’s taken him hostage, right now, while he’s in his studio apartment.

“Hope you’re a fan of heights,” the villain purrs with a smirk, green eyes glittering as he hauls Nathaniel up like he’s a sack of potatoes and jumps on a glider that looks like a paper airplane.

Alongside the costume—looking angular like folded origami, half-white and half-black split down the middle—it at least was a cohesive aesthetic. Nothing like the puke-inducing bright colors and loud designs of past villains under the first Hawkmoth’s reign.

The only thing Nathaniel’s _not_ appreciative of is the fact that the villain’s hands are firmly gripping the backs of his upper thighs, and that’s _way_ too close to his ass for his comfort. But what is he supposed to do? Complain? The villain will probably laugh at him before literally dropping him off the side of his glider to splat on the concrete.

And Nathaniel wants to survive this so he can keep working on his comic, thanks. His deadline is coming up in three weeks. His fans will be disappointed if he dies before the next issue is out.

They end up at the top of the Louvre. Not as classic as the top of the Eiffel Tower, but admittedly, Nathaniel _did_ live close to the museum. Being held hostage at the most famous art museum in France seemed fitting as well, especially since he’s an artist and he’s visited the place so often.

He wonders if Alix is here at the Louvre right now…And what the hell she thinks of the current situation he’s been dragged into, if she is…

“You know, it’s been a while since the last time I was held hostage by a villain,” Nathaniel muses aloud, heart thumping in pure fear and adrenaline as he peers over the side of the glider at the street stories below. “Last time was back in high school.”

Nathaniel always ran away when an Akuma struck to get out of the danger zone, so it really _has_ been a while. It’s almost…nostalgic, in a way.

Of course, a new Akuma being sighted with a hostage over a famous Parisian monument causes some commotion. And a lot of people running and screaming and taking photos.

At least the heroes will be notified sooner rather than later…

“Hm. It’s no wonder you’re so calm about this,” the villain just about grumbles, deep voice sounding disappointed. A small pout appears on the other’s lips—painted black, matching his striking black eyeliner and furrowed thick eyebrows—and it’s surprisingly…cute?

No. _Nope_. Not going there, Nathaniel. Keep focused!

“Well then, sorry to disappoint, Mister Villain,” the redhead deadpans back, trying to stall for time.

“Oh, you’re not a disappointment at all, Nathaniel Kurtzberg,” the villain says smoothly, turning his head to eye the artist with a toothy grin. “I should’ve considered something like this. After all, someone as cute as you must have been even cuter when you were younger. A prime target for big bad villains to kidnap, don’t you think?”

The redhead finds himself spluttering, face going warm, goggling at the villain. Who was looking back at him expectantly with a smirk, green eyes glittering bright.

_Damn_ it. Why did Nathaniel have to get kidnapped by an attractive villain?! Even the other’s face paint splitting his face in equal halves couldn’t detract from the smooth jawline and high cheekbones on a pretty, heart-shaped face. Not to mention the villain had eyelashes for days, and perfectly plump lips.

Couldn’t Nathaniel have been taken hostage by an Akuma with a total clown of a design, like the good ol’ days…? Maybe then his dumb, bisexual ass wouldn’t be having a crisis.

“And my name isn’t Mister Villain. It’s Reverser. Do remember it,” the villain—Reverser—says with a wink. A _wink_! What the hell…?!

All Nathaniel can do is gape back, flustered beyond belief. No guy’s ever flirted with him so blatantly before. Not to mention a _villain_ doing it to _him_? It seems completely unreal.

This shit happens, to, like. Marinette. Or Adrien. They’re popular and pretty, and have had villains flirt with them in the past during Akuma attacks. Adrien is literally a model, for God’s sake, so half the time villains seem to think it’s okay to seduce him for his status.

Nathaniel was just…Nathaniel.

“Um…?” he squeaks out, face feeling as hot as a furnace.

“Stop right there, Akuma!” a new, familiar voice crows.

Nathaniel awkwardly and carefully twists his neck around, watching with relief as Chat Noir lands neatly against the glass of the Louvre’s ceiling, anchoring himself with his baton. He stands out starkly against the glass structure in his full black catsuit lined in neon green.

“Let Nathaniel go!” Ladybug adds, voice fierce as she hooks the line of her yoyo at the top of the building, landing next to her partner. Her smaller stature, wrapped up in red polka-dotted material edged with black gloves and thigh-high boots, hides her impressive strength.

“Interesting… This _does_ confirm that…” Reverser muses to himself, so quiet that only Nathaniel can hear him. He sounds…pleased. Like he’d found the space for a pesky puzzle piece, and things are falling into place.

The redhead feels a shiver crawling down his spine. But he has no time to think on his troubling theories further, as Reverser calls out, “Ladybug and Chat Noir! It’s an honor to finally meet the heroes of Paris, truly, it is—”

“Enough talk! Put him down, Villain!” Chat Noir exclaims, baring his teeth in a snarl that makes something lurch in Nathaniel’s chest.

Chat Noir’s protective fury directed into saving _him_ …? Yeah, that’s a rarity.

“The name’s Reverser, actually,” the villain sighs, clicking his tongue. “Which you’d _know_ , if you just gave me time to introduce myself.”

“Well, we’ve gotten introductions out of the way. I think that means it’s time to fight you, doesn’t it?” Ladybug says, fiercely protective, blue eyes glaring holes at Reverser. Again, Nathaniel’s chest flutters.

_Fuck_ , he was a bi disaster. But he’s not going to be forgetting this amazing scene anytime soon. He’s going to burn it straight into his memory.

“If you insist,” Reverser says lightly, smile thick in his voice. “Reversion!”

With the hand not keeping Nathaniel slung over his shoulder, the duo-colored villain arcs his arm across the air. Sheets of paper float around the villain’s form, folding themselves into various shapes. One shapes itself into a spear, and flies towards Chat Noir, who jumps up and deflects it with his baton.

Another paper—shaped like a paper airplane, but is split black and white down the middle—nearly hits Ladybug. She swings herself out of the way, missing a slew of shuriken projectiles as well.

The fight is officially underway.

* * *

Reverser’s control over paper is actually incredibly impressive, and a little insane, Nathaniel observes.

He can send more than a dozen projectiles at once, while still controlling his glider to avoid the heroes getting closer. Considering his name isn’t something based on paper, his powers must also not be just based on it either; he must have a secret technique up his sleeve.

In fact, those bi-colored paper planes might hold the key to that.

“Gah! Paper cuts are the worst!” Chat Noir hisses, as a paper scythe manages to cut into his side. Nathaniel finds himself wincing and hissing along in sympathy. Reverser’s _much_ stronger than the villains from past Hawkmoth’s reign. It’s terrifying.

Nathaniel tries to wriggle in the villain’s hold, not wanting to be a completely helpless damsel. But he squeaks and freezes when a paper spear points itself at his face.

“Do you _want_ me to drop you?” Reverser asks him, voice full of exasperation. “You _do_ realize that if you manage to free yourself from my grip, there’s no place for you to run, right…? Just a straight drop down.”

The redhead finds himself sweating, breaths uneven as he realizes that, yes. That’s what would happen. They’re suspended stories high, and Reverser can make dozens of deadly weapons from paper, so there’s no guarantee that Chat Noir and Ladybug will be able to catch him before he either lands on the concrete or smashes through the glass ceiling of the Louvre.

Nathaniel lets his body go completely lax, and the villain grunts as the redhead becomes complete deadweight slung on his shoulder.

Nathaniel’s mind whirrs. He has nothing else to do but think of a solution, of a way to warn the heroes and defeat his kidnapper. So he gathers his thoughts, and shouts out what he notices.

“Ladybug! Chat Noir! Reverser’s powers aren’t just paper manipulation! I think he can control or change you if those paper airplanes hit you!”

He feels Reverser freeze under him, shoulders going taught with tension: bingo.

“Got it!” Chat Noir grins.

“Thanks, Nathaniel!” Ladybug nods.

The two heroes look at each other, before they surge forwards, spinning their weapons to create makeshift shields.

“Damn it!” Reverser hisses, trying to throw airplane after airplane as he maneuvers his glider back.

The spear that was pointed at Nathaniel’s face wavers in the air, slowly unraveling into a loose gathering of paper sheets. “There’s a limit to how many things he can control at once!” Nathaniel adds to the heroes when he notices this.

“Quiet down!” Reverser snarls, turning to glare over at the redhead. The spear sharpens and solidifies in front of his face.

The artist simply grins back at him, feeling a bit triumphant. “Hey, weren’t you the one that warned me to not fight you or else you’d end up dropping me? Well, I’m not trying to fight you. Just saying my thoughts aloud.”

The villain snorts, green eyes glittering with amusement, and just a bit of respect. “Well, keep it down—”

“Gotcha!” Chat Noir hoots, slamming aside the spear keeping Nathaniel hostage.

There’s a zipping sound, and then Ladybug’s yoyo is wrapping around Reverser’s arm, binging it to the villain’s torso.

“Cataclysm!” the cat-themed hero crows, slamming a clawed hand down on the glider. Reverser’s eyes go wide as the glider disintegrates.

Nathaniel, more used to this than he honestly should be, just lets himself start to freefall. It only takes two seconds before Chat Noir snags him, propping him against a leather-clad hip while the other hand is used to extend the baton to lessen the impact.

Ladybug’s activated her wings and floats her and the captured villain down, while Chat Noir carefully sets Nathaniel back down on solid ground.

“Good job, everyone!” Ladybug chirps, grin pleased as she trusses up Reverser properly.

“Yeah, that was some great advice, Nathaniel,” Chat Noir nods, smiling toothily and sounding impressed. “And a really great distraction, too!”

The artist feels his face go warm, flustered and pleased in equal halves under the praise of his idols. “O-Oh! It was nothing, really. Thank you both for saving me.”

“And here, I thought we’d had a connection,” Reverser sighs from his place on the ground face-down as Ladybug keeps a foot on his back.

Nathaniel narrows his eyes down at the villain, who smiles back at him charmingly. “You kidnapped me,” he states in complete deadpan.

“Yes, and that builds a bond, don’t you think, Nathaniel Kurtzberg?” Reverser purrs back, looking back at him with half-lidden eyes.

Nathaniel can’t help but feel incredibly incredulous. And if his face goes warm, well. He’s obviously turning red from anger and indignation. Not at all because he found the villain stupidly charming and hot.

Chat Noir clicks his tongue. “Enough flirting there, Romeo. Here, Nathaniel, let me get you back home. Ladybug—”

“I can get him to the station no problem,” the dark-haired woman nods back. “Thanks for looking after Nathaniel, Chat. We’ll rendezvous later at Point B.”

“See you later, Nathaniel Kurtzberg…!” Reverser calls out in singsong, as Chat Noir ushers the redhead away from the scene.

Nathaniel doesn’t look back, but he swears he can feel those emerald green eyes on him.

* * *

When Nathaniel goes to sleep, Reverser’s eyes are in his dreams.

* * *

Nathaniel’s in the middle of coloring in another pair of green eyes when he hears someone knock on the door.

The artist sets his things aside, sighing. At least this is a nice distraction. He hasn’t stopped thinking about Reverser, constantly drawing him, ever since the kidnapping. It’s been…a problem.

When Nathaniel opens his door, he freezes, gaping. And is then promptly scooped up into the man’s arms in a bridal carry.

Well, speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

“Reverser?!” the redhead squeaks out, staring up at the duo-colored man. Who is apparently very much into his villain aesthetic, as he’s even got makeup on to split his face down the middle between powder-white and dark grey.

The villain grins back at him, a wide and crooked thing full of flashing teeth and a hint of canines. “Well well well! So you _do_ remember me! I’m honored, Nathaniel Kurtzberg.”

“What the hell—” the redhead starts, squeaking and wrapping his arms around the other man’s neck as they start to float up. Damn that glider…!

“Are you seriously kidnapping me again?!” the artist demands, glaring up at the villain, who looks like the cat that got the cream.

“Of course. Last time went rather well.”

“You mean, getting your ass kicked is considered ‘rather well’? Guess we have different definitions for that phrase then,” Nathaniel responds, just a bit taunting.

Instead of getting angry, the villain laughs. Reverser laughs and laughs, glider wavering in the air as they make a slow journey towards the Eiffel Tower.

“Ha! Well, yes, I _do_ think last time went rather well,” the villain says, after catching his breath. His smile is wide and toothy as he grins down at Nathaniel in his arms. “After all, I met you.”

Nathaniel feels his jaw drop, and he sputters incoherently, his face aflame. If he were standing, his knees would’ve gone weak. As it is, he acutely remembers that he’s in the other’s arms, with his arms wrapped around the villain, in a very intimate position.

Reverser snickers, emerald eyes gleaming. “You know, you’re rather adorable when you blush. Your face goes full red. Paired up with your hair, you look like a tomato. It’s charming.”

“Sh-sh-shut up!” the redhead stutters, burying his face in the other’s chest to hide his shame.

Oh God. Oh God, the villain’s back to flirting with him and making him _flustered_ —

Reverser laughs, the sound rumbling through his chest. “I can still see your ears are beet-red. But nice effort all the same, little tomato.”

“F-fuck you, I’m not little,” Nathaniel grumbles, hitting the other on the chest lightly. But not hard enough to cause damage. Can’t having Reverser dropping him, after all.

Though he really, _really_ wanted to punch Reverser in his smug face. Nathaniel’s shortness has always been a sore spot for him. Damn tall people…And damn tall people that were hot!

“Is that so…? Shame. That means I can’t eat you up in one bite,” Reverser coos, breath hot against his ear. “Guess you’ll end up being a whole meal then, hm…?”

Thankfully, Ladybug and Chat Noir show up before Nathaniel can die from mortification.

* * *

“We should get dinner sometime…! Maybe pasta?” Reverser says, smiling crookedly up at Nathaniel, who was being ushered away by Ladybug. “With extra tomatoes, of course!”

Nathaniel feels his face go red, and he turns around with a huff, stomping away from the villain. Reverser simply laughs.

* * *

“This is the third time this month,” Nathaniel deadpans, as he’s being whisked away again by Reverser. This time, he was slung on the other’s shoulder, but facing the front.

“Of course. As the saying goes, third time’s the charm, right?” Reverser asks lightly, with an infuriatingly charming smile. Stupid pretty people… “Aren’t you glad to spend time with me again?”

“As if! Maybe next time instead of kidnapping me, you could _ask_ ,” the artist sighs, crossing his arms and trying not to pout.

Reverser is eerily quiet. When Nathaniel chances a glance at him, it’s to the villain smirking up a storm at him. “Is that so…? Does this mean I can ask you, and you’d come along freely?”

Nathaniel finds himself sputtering. “I—what— _no_ —you’re _kidnapping_ me!”

“It wouldn’t be kidnapping if you consented,” the villain singsongs with a sharp grin, leaning in uncomfortably close. Nathaniel finds his breath catching. “At that point, it’d just be a date, I’d think.”

“F-fuck off!” the artist says, reaching up a hand to shove the other’s face away. He feels like he’s going to literally combust at any second.

Ladybug and Chat Noir have perfect timing, swinging in not a minute later and before Reverser can proposition Nathaniel more.

* * *

This time, Ladybug and Chat Noir catch up to Reverser while they’re over the Seine.

Nathaniel, slung over one of Reverser’s shoulders once again, is the only one close enough to hear the litany of colorful curses the villain is muttering under his breath.

“Fucking Christ—the Seine—of all the fucking places—just my luck.”

The redhead watches with critical eyes, as Reverser tries raining down a litany of paper airplanes and projectiles on the heroes.

And strangely enough, instead of letting the paper airplanes fly wherever they want and unravel when Reverser isn’t paying attention to them, the villain is redirecting everything. No stray paper projectile in unaccounted for, which is a marked difference from his past fighting style.

There’s also the interesting issue of Reverser looking anxious as he goes about attacking. He keeps his glider high in the air, hovering in the middle of the Seine, but seems to like straying close to the land. However, each time he gets in range, Ladybug and Chat Noir take that chance to try and jump close to him, and he pulls back again.

It clicks in Nathaniel’s head all at once, when Reverser curses as a few airplanes end up landing in the water. Reverser can manipulate paper to make fantastic weapons, yes. But it’s still just _paper_.

“You might want to try using water on Reverser…!” Nathaniel calls to the heroes. “If his paper gets wet enough, it could either disintegrate or get weighed down too much to be manipulated properly! And I think he only has a certain amount of paper at his disposal!”

“It sounds to me like you want to be thrown into the river, _Nathaniel_ ,” Reverser says scathingly, glaring at him and jostling his shoulder. Nathaniel’s torso bounces, his entire body teetering dangerously.

With a small squeak, the redhead pinwheels his arms, one hand out to grab onto the other’s cloak with a knuckle-white grip. His body goes cold in terror. This might be the closest thing to a threat Reverser has ever given him and seemed willing to follow through on. The villain’s mouth was pulled in a snarl, and he was sweating very obviously through his makeup, looking harried and frenzied.

“I-If you’re going to drop me down there, I-I’m taking you with me…!” Nathaniel manages to say, in a high and terrified voice. His hand that wasn’t clutching at the villain’s cloak for dear life fumbles and lands right on Reverser’s hip, and he automatically grips it as an anchor point.

Reverser yelps. Literally yelps, jolting in place, the entire glider dipping down and veering close to the river. A few more of his airplanes land in the water. “Shit…!”

Then a jet of water hits the glider like a firehose, and Reverser _screeches._

Chat Noir launches himself forwards just then, tackling Reverser and Nathaniel towards the bridge. The hero takes the impact for all of them, Nathaniel thinks, as they tumble on the concrete. He can’t feel himself get banged up too much during the fall.

Reverser doesn’t even struggle. He just sort of…collapses on the bridge with a wheeze. Nathaniel is still close enough that he feels the villain tremble just slightly under his fingertips.

“S-smart thinking,” the duo-colored man states, his usual confidence and bravado gone.

Chat Noir carefully pulls Nathaniel away, and the redhead is almost tempted to look behind him to double-check to see how Reverser is doing. Almost.

* * *

“Oh, _c’mon_! I have shit I need to do, Reverser…!” Nathaniel groans, slumping when the villain literally swoops in while the artist is walking back from the Printmaking shop he gets his merch printed at.

“Well, you seemed like you needed a lift,” the villain says with a shrug, settling the artist next to him on his glider, an arm wrapped around Nathaniel’s waist to keep him in place.

The redhead can’t help but blink, shocked at the turn of events. Especially when Reverser takes his glider in the direction where Nathaniel’s apartment complex is located. Meaning he was serious about his offer.

“Bringing me back to my apartment to hold me hostage there…? That’s a new one,” he says, just a bit dazed, hand gripping the back of the other’s cloak.

“I like to spice things up a bit,” the villain shrugs, a small smile on his black-painted lips. “Besides, maybe the close quarters will work to my advantage.”

* * *

The close quarters did, in fact, work to Reverser’s advantage. However, as they were on Nath’s literal home turf, the artist knew his surroundings like the back of his hand.

He helped the two heroes defeat Reverser again, with a bit of directing and some ingenuity in using his sparse furniture and his abundance of art supplies. After all, a heavy easel hitting you on the shin hurt like _hell_. Nathaniel would know, having accidentally rammed into plenty while taking art classes.

Ladybug was even kind enough to use her powers to fix all the damage in his apartment, which was relieving. He’s sure he wouldn’t have gotten his security deposit back after something like that…It’s like a small, localized tornado had ripped through his apartment.

Reverser wheezes on the ground, clutching at his shin and looking up at Nathaniel with something resembling awe in his eyes. "Remind me not to try and hold you hostage in your own apartment again,” the villain says weakly, with an even weaker grin.

“I’ll remind you to stop kidnapping me _period_ , though I doubt you’ll actually listen,” the redhead states, a smirk spreading on his face as he twirls one of his woodcutting tools in his hands.

“We’ll see,” Reverser says cryptically, as he’s pulled away by both heroes and a team of police officers.

* * *

“Ninth time’s the charm, huh?” Nathaniel drawls, clinging to Reverser’s leg while he sits down on the villain’s glider. “What, do I have a special membership punch card or something? Will I get a prize after getting kidnapped ten times?”

“You know, I never considered…” the villain muses, tapping his chin, green eyes gleaming with amusement. “Hm. Maybe I can give you a kiss as a prize…?”

“You try that, and you’re getting a kiss from my knuckles slamming into your mouth,” the redhead states, in complete seriousness.

Reverser simply laughs. “Ha! Well then, I suppose I’ll have to give you something else as a prize, then. I’d rather our first kiss be under the starlight.”

“How very romantic,” Nathaniel drawls, watching as Ladybug and Chat Noir’s figures parkour across Paris’ skyline towards them.

“I’m a romantic at heart, really.”

“You consider kidnapping romantic?”

“Well, it certainly provides a lot of _tension_ , don’t you think?” Reverser smirks down at him.

Nathaniel quickly detaches himself from the man’s leg, realizing how close he was to resting his head on the other’s thigh. Instead, he grips on hand on a pants leg and another on the edge of the glider itself.

* * *

During the fight, Nathaniel had to literally cling to dear life on the edge of Reverser’s glider.

He nearly fell and splattered on the concrete in the chaos. Thankfully, Ladybug had managed to snag him with her yoyo before it could happen, but…It had been a close call.

When Reverser gets tied up to be sent back to the police, there’s something almost soft and concerned about the grin he sends Nathaniel. “I know you’re falling for me, Nathaniel, but please don’t _literally_ do it anytime soon, hm?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” the redhead mumbles in reply, before he’s being pulled away by Chat Noir.

However, this time, he looks over his shoulder as he walks away. He locks eyes with Reverser—blue meeting green.

The way Reverser looks back at him is an apology all on its own, especially with the way his figure is slumped over, prostrated on his knees. So Nathaniel finds himself nodding slightly at the villain, before turning back around.

* * *

Nathaniel is beyond stressed one of the times that Reverser kidnaps him a few weeks later.

The surprise of the abductions themselves has worn off. It’s never knowing when it was going to happen that was the problem.

“Listen. I’ve got deadlines I need to meet, and meetings with editors and publishers I need to attend. Could we maybe make a schedule for these sort of things…?” Nathaniel asks, because hey, he might as well.

Reverser wasn’t the worst. He could be practical. Maybe he’d listen and they can make a bargain…?

Reverser blinks back at him incredulously from their perch on top of the hotel Chloe’s family owned. “You want us to schedule your kidnappings…?” the villain asks, laughter thick in his voice, green eyes full of mirth.

“You must have a life outside of this too, right? Things you have to do?” Nathaniel presses, raising a brow pointedly at the duo-colored man. “I mean, under the makeup and without your Akuma abilities, you’re just a normal guy. Villainy doesn’t pay the bills.”

“Bold of you to assume I don’t get paid by the newest Hawkmoth,” Reverser smirks, twirling a paper airplane in his hands.

“Okay, but what’s your salary? Do you even get benefits…?” Nathaniel asks, more than curious now. “Like, do you get dental?”

A smile grows on the other’s black-painted lips. “No, we don’t get dental.”

“I can’t believe you don’t even get dental,” the redhead says long-sufferingly with a shake of his head. Reverser laughs, a bright and warm sound, throwing his head back with the motion.

Oh. He doesn’t cover his entire skin with makeup. It’s a nice, tanned color under all that white powder and dark grey face paint. Good to know…

The heroes show up—joined by Queen Bee this time—before Nathaniel can speak further with Reverser.

* * *

“Okay, so I’m usually really busy on Mondays and Fridays, and the weekends aren’t exactly the greatest for me either—”

“Are you _really_ trying to get me to plan my kidnapping attempts out around your schedule?” Reverser snorts, looking down at the artist in his arms. He seems more amused than annoyed, which is a good sign.

“I mean, I’d suggest every other Tuesday, but that’s probably too predictable for you,” Nathaniel shrugs, hooking his arms around the other’s neck automatically. “I just really want to find a system where getting kidnapped doesn’t conflict with stuff for my comic. My comic is my livelihood. I need it to help me pay rent, Rev.”

“So we’re on nicknaming basis now?” Reverser asks in a drawl, smirking at him. “Should I start calling you Nath? Or will tomato do?”

“No…!” the redhead sputters, slapping the other man on the back of the head. “That was a slip of the tongue, damn it! Don’t hold that against me!”

“Oh noooo,” the villain drones, in a dramatically fake voice, green eyes glittering. “I think you’ve given me a concussion. I can’t fly this thiiiiing.”

Nathaniel shrieks, clinging close to the villain as the jackass makes the glider descend into a corkscrew.

“Reverser, I _swear to Goddddd_ …!” the artist squeals, burying his face in the other’s chest and closing his eyes.

They suddenly stop descending like a wild rollercoaster, the ride smoothing out into a horizontal glide like normal. Nathaniel keeps his eyes closed, feeling more than hearing Reverser’s laughter shake his body, the blood pumping through his ears.

If the heroes think it’s strange for Nathaniel to be gripping so tightly to the villain when they arrive to save him, well. They don’t say anything.

* * *

Nathaniel can’t help but snort as he’s being swept onto Reverser’s glider, the villain’s arm around his waist, the two standing toe-to-toe to fit.

“Wow. Can’t believe you actually went with my suggestion for a Tuesday kidnapping session,” he muses, unable to stop the smile spreading on his face.

“Well, after you asked so nicely last time, I decided to help accommodate you,” Reverser says grandiosely, giving the redhead a crooked grin. “It’s your prize for your Getting Kidnapped By Me Punch Card.”

“At this point, you’ve kidnapped me over twenty times. That means I should be able to redeem a second prize, you know,” Nathaniel points out teasingly, wagging a finger in front of the duo-colored man’s face.

Reverser smiles back at him, a surprisingly soft thing. His emerald eyes are crinkled and bright.

The redhead is suddenly and vividly reminded that he’s all but pressed chest-to-chest with the villain, the other man’s arm around his waist, keeping him in place as they stand on the glider.

Nathaniel finds himself gulping thickly, his hand dropping onto Reverser’s shoulder, the other clutching the front of his cloak for stability. His heart feels like it stops, when Reverser’s eyes dart down to his lips, then back up to his eyes.

Oh God. Oh fuck. Was this actually going to happen…?

Nathaniel finds himself panicking, but not for the logical reason that the fact that he’s going to be kissed by a villain. It’s panic from the fact that Reverser is going to kiss him.

It’s exceedingly worrying that there’s a distinct difference between the two, in his mind.

“Hey, Romeo! Stop kidnapping princes already!”

Nathaniel yelps, pushing himself away from Reverser. And nearly falling off the glider in his haste. The villain quickly reaches forwards, grabbing him to keep him on.

The two are so taken off guard, that Chat Noir has no problem in snagging Nathaniel and destroying Reverser’s glider, Ladybug easily wrapping up the villain in her yoyo.

Nathaniel’s face burns in shame, and he quickly avoids the look at Chat Noir gives him that silently asks, “ _Really? You’re falling for the guy that’s kidnapping you, Nathaniel?_ ”

“S-Sorry,” he finds himself muttering to the hero anyways, head ducked down.

“…It’s fine. Not your fault,” Chat Noir ends up saying, something odd in his voice that the redhead can’t quite place.

* * *

“…”

Nathaniel squints back at Reverser, who’s just leaning against the door of his apartment, obviously waiting for him.

“Can I at least put my groceries away first…?” the redhead asks, blunt from the fatigue of the tediousness of grocery shopping.

The villain shrugs, moving away from the door. “Yeah, sure. You need any help?”

“Not really, no. Thank you,” Nathaniel answers automatically, digging into his pocket for his keys.

He only realizes how domestic he sounded when he’s finished putting everything away in the kitchen. He has to sit down on the couch and stare down at his hands for a few minutes, until he’s roused by a knock on the door.

Already know who it’s going to be, Nathaniel opens the door with a sigh. “Alright, go on.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make this one quick. Just a skip over to the Louvre,” Reverser promises, smiling in a way that’s almost _sheepish_.

“I’ll hold you to it, then,” Nathaniel says, letting himself be swept up in a bridal carry. It’s a relief on his aching feet, and he sighs, settling himself in for the ride.

He ignores the fact that Reverser barely puts in a token effort into the fight, as if he’s just a worker clocking in his hours.

* * *

“Can I just ask one question…?” Nathaniel asks, as he’s swept up in yet another bridal carry by Reverser.

“You just did,” the villain jokes, giggling when the redhead glares at him. “But, sure, go ahead.”

“Why me…?” the redhead sighs, already wrapping his arms around the other’s neck to anchor himself in place, the glider taking them across Paris’ skyline.

“Is that your question? Or is that an aggrieved query to, say, the heavens?” the duo-colored man asks, almost philosophically.

“It’s actually to you, jackass,” Nathaniel huffs, going on when the villain’s gaze glitters playfully back at him, “Why do you always kidnap me?”

Reverser simply blinks back at him, thick brows flying high on his face, obviously taken aback. “Well, why wouldn’t I…?”

“Because I’m no one special!” the redhead crows, throwing his hands up in exasperation. And then quickly put them back down to grab onto Reverser’s shoulders to anchor himself. “I-I mean—there are _way_ more important people in Paris. I-I just write a comic book!”

Was he possibly throwing someone else under the bus by pointing this out…? Absolutely. But people like Chloe or Jagged Stone were already used to being kidnapped by Akuma. What’s one more?

Besides, they had money and status, which they could fall back on in case things go wrong. Nathaniel…doesn’t have that. He’s just an artist. Sure, his comic is the most popular comic sold in Paris, but that’s still incredibly niche in the comic world.

Hell, he can’t even afford an assistant! Or a writer to work with him! He’s been struggling to do just about everything on his own for years as an independent artist. And while being an adult has opened up new avenues for him, including contracts, he doesn’t have the time or money to be able to fall behind.

“You seem close to Ladybug and Chat Noir,” Reverser states, cutting through Nathaniel’s spiraling thoughts. The redhead almost thinks it’s a non-sequitur of a statement, before the man goes on with, “And from my research, you were part of the dubbed ‘Akuma Class’ that were all heavily involved with the incidents of the first Hawkmoth. Thusly, you’re a much better target than many others in Paris.”

“Yeah, but most of my classmates are way more famous than me. Or closer to the heroes than I am,” Nathaniel starts, just a bit heated, before his anger and annoyance sputters out. He clamps his mouth shut, knowing that he’s said too much.

He’s _not_ going to sell out his friends and classmates. No matter _how_ much Reverser kidnaps him and ruins his days, the paper-wielding villain hasn’t shown to be maniacal and homicidal. At least, compared to most other Akuma.

The paper glider touches down on the edge of the Eiffel Tower. Nathaniel is set down, almost gently, the other boxing him in against the steel structure with a loose prison of paper formed around them.

“Oh, _everyone_ goes after the Bourgeoise girl and the Ladyblogger, and even the Agreste boy,” Reverser starts, rolling his eyes dramatically. “That’s not incredibly original, for one. Two, they never have any information to give. And three…”

Nathaniel freezes in place as the villain gently takes the redhead’s chin between his fingers, leaning down to purr, “You are _much_ cuter than any of them anyways.”

Nathaniel feels his face burn like a furnace, and he jerks his face away from the other’s hand. The villain chuckles lowly, a raspy sound that makes his stomach flip.

“Th-that’s not a reason,” he mumbles out, hunching in on himself slightly and looking up at the other through his lashes. “Least, not a good one.”

“Hm, well…To give you a practical reason…” the other sighs, tapping at his bottom lip with a painted nail. “If the others in your class are much more famous and renowned, that means you haven’t had other Akuma target you. Which means you’re an untapped source of information.” Reverser grins at him with a sharp smile and an almost hungry expression.

“I’d never give you information, even if I _had_ any,” the redhead grits out, straightening his spine and glaring fiercely back at the villain, fists clenched by his sides. “Which I _don’t_.”

The duo-colored man simply hums, emerald eyes bright as he surveys Nathaniel.

“You’re delightfully unique, Nathaniel Kurtzberg. And you’re incredibly clever, as well,” the villain starts, voice soft and strangely honest. “Both your skills shown in the plots of your comic books, and the way you’ve been helping lead the heroes to victory against me—it just proves that my decision to go after you was the correct one.”

Nathaniel’s mouth goes bone dry. He takes in a shaky breath, unknowing how to really respond. So he stays quiet.

“In fact…I’d even say that this was the best possible decision I could have taken,” the other confesses in a quiet voice with a small smile. “It’s allowed me to get to know you, after all. At least, as much as someone like _me_ can do so…”

The air feels like it’s been punched from Nathaniel’s lungs from the sincerity of it all.

Reverser stares back at him in quiet contemplation, seemingly drinking him in with his gaze. He has gorgeous eyes, Nathaniel’s always known, but he’s never noticed just how many shades of green were in them.

The air is silent and thick with tension. Almost charged, in a way. Nathaniel feels goosebumps rise on his arms.

Then a spray of water punches through the prison of paper, cutting through the bubble of quiet stillness.

Reverser sputters, wide-eyed and clutching at his side. When the water doesn’t relent, he collapses on his knees, coughing so violently the artist is afraid he’ll start choking.

Nathaniel is quick to stick himself out of the hole in the paper prison, which is rapidly collapsing like a house of cards. “He’s down!” he calls, feeling a bit panicked as he does so. “He’s done, you can stop!”

Ladybug, thankfully, listens to his request and stops the hose her powers manifested.

“Are you alright?” Chat Noir asks, jogging up to him.

“I’m fine,” Nathaniel waves off, wringing his hands and feeling worried, glancing back behind his shoulder at the panting villain collapsed on his knees. He’s stopped choking, which is good. “I don’t think Reverser is, though. C-Could you, um…”

It’s a dumb thing to request, he knows. What’s going he going to ask the heroes of Paris? To be _gentle_ with an Akuma? Reverser is a highly dangerous villain, after all.

When he looks back to Chat Noir, however, the blond is giving him a rather sympathetic look, his cat-eyes soft with understanding. “Alright. How about I take care of him, and Ladybug takes you back?”

Nathaniel nods, but he hesitates from stepping away, still peering over at Reverser. Chat Noir steps around him carefully, crouching down next to the duo-colored man.

The hero starts rubbing the villain’s back with one hand, the other clamped on his arm in a precautionary way. But it’s a much gentler handling of the villain, compared to the other times, where they would hold Reverser down by force to not let him escape.

Reverser looks startlingly human. Even his makeup has started to run from the water, streaks of powder white and dark grey dripping down to reveal tanned skin.

He looks damningly vulnerable.

Nathaniel has to be pulled away from the scene by Ladybug, or else he’d be rooted helplessly in place.

But he keeps looking over his shoulder as he’s led away, keeping Reverser in his sights for as long as possible.

* * *

Reverser used to show up like clockwork, but it’s been about two months since the last incident of kidnapping. Despite the logical part of his brain berating him…Nathaniel still feels worried.

It’s almost a relief when Nathaniel answers a knock on his door and opens it to Reverser’s familiar, dramatically costumed form.

Everything is perfectly back in order. The angular costume that looks like folded origami, split down the middle, half white and half black. The black lipstick and winged eyeliner and thick eyebrows. The powder-white makeup and dark grey makeup, neatly splitting his face in two.

Reverser doesn’t grab Nathaniel right away. In fact, the villain just stands there awkwardly, darting his eyes from Nathaniel’s face to the ground.

The artist makes a decision then and there.

“Come in,” he sighs, opening the door wider. “How do you take your coffee?”

* * *

It’s odd, having a villain huddled on your couch. Reverser looks incredibly out of place, in his bold and angular costume, hunching slightly in on himself and clutching his coffee mug like a lifeline.

The villain apparently took his coffee pitch black. Which clashed with Nathaniel’s own sweet tooth and need to dump five creamers in his own mug, but hey. He wasn’t going to judge.

“You didn’t show up for a while,” Nathaniel starts, after taking a long and noisy sip from his own mug. He smacks his lips. “I was actually starting to get worried.”

The duo-colored man snaps his head up, green eyes wide as he stares back at him. “You…You were?”

“Yeah,” the redhead shrugs, fiddling with his mug and not meeting the other’s eyes, feeling just a bit embarrassed. “I mean. You were kidnapping me like clockwork. And then you just…stopped.”

An awkward silence befalls them, as Nathaniel tries to look at Reverser through his lashes, and Reverser stares down at his coffee cup like it held all the answers to the universe.

“Well, I just didn’t particularly see a point,” the villain sighs, posture slumping even further.

“Do…Do they know your real identity…?” the redhead asks awkwardly, knowing this is unknown territory he was treading. “The police, I mean.”

“No. I always escape custody before they can even try to find out,” the villain shakes his head, tapping his nails against his mug. “And even if they could keep me there long enough to figure out, Hawkmoth’s abilities also allow an extra layer of protection.”

The villain doesn’t clarify any more. He’s probably in trouble for speaking about it at all, though, so Nathaniel lets it slide.

“So you didn’t stop because they caught you and know your civilian identity,” Nathaniel concludes.

Reverser gives a long, weary sigh. “The heroes know my weakness—my _very_ glaring weakness. There’s really no way to combat them properly. So there’s no point anymore. I’m fighting a losing battle.”

“Oh.”

That was…simple. And anticlimactic. But also very practical. “So…No more kidnapping adventures, huh?” he asks, trying for levity.

Reverser looks back at him, regret all but painted across his face as thick as his makeup.

“Yes. I’m going to stop kidnapping you. Or doing any other sort of crime as well.” And then the man was bowing, forehead just about pressed against his own knees. “I’m sorry. I know this won’t make up for everything I’ve put you through, and you have no obligation to ever forgive me, or even accept my apology, but—”

The villain’s voice—which was already wavering and thick with tears—breaks as he starts to sob.

“W-woah! Woah, hey now,” Nathaniel starts, alarmed, hands uselessly fluttering to and fro as Reverser has a breakdown then and there. “Hey, it’s—well, I was going to say it’s fine, but technically kidnapping isn’t fine. So, um—”

Reverser just cries harder, and Nathaniel finds himself panicking further.

“Hey! Hey, shhhhh. It’s okay, Rev,” he starts awkwardly, carefully taking away the other’s mug before he spilled coffee all over himself, placing it on the floor and shifting closer. “I accept your apology. And you’re doing the right thing, stopping your villainy and stuff. I’m proud of you, okay? I’m not mad.”

The redhead places a comforting hand on the duo-colored man’s shoulder—only to suddenly be pulled into a hug by the sobbing Reverser.

“Oooookay,” Nathaniel starts, awkwardly patting the other’s back. He was never good at dealing with crying people, but he has no other choice right now. “Okay. It’s gonna be okay, Rev. Let it out. Go on…”

* * *

By the time the villain—former villain?—stops crying, a solid five minutes has passed. Nathaniel carefully and awkwardly disentangles himself to go fetch some tissues.

He tries not to stare at the other’s face when he hands over the tissues.

The tears have washed away a lot of Reverser’s makeup. When he mops up his tears and wipes at his eyes and blows his nose, it smudges away even more of it. Powder white and dark grey is replaced by tanned skin.

Hell, Reverser looks even _more_ handsome without that makeup on him, and he was already rather good-looking to start with. Nathaniel’s actually itching to draw him, but he beats down the impulse.

“Sorry,” the green-eyed man sniffles, sounding and looking exhausted. “I…After today, you won’t be seeing me again, I promise—”

“What? Why?” Nathaniel blurts out, like a complete moron.

Reverser looks back at him, shocked and incredulous. “Why…?” he sputters, “Well—I won’t be kidnapping you anymore, so—there’s no reason I should even be in your presence—”

“So, what? That’s _it_?” the redhead finds himself demanding, a bit indignant.

“That’s…it? What’s it?” the other man parrots.

“What’s it?! You kidnapped me _twenty-nine_ times, asshole!” Nathaniel exclaims, even more indignant.

“…You’ve been keeping count?” the other asks meekly, hunching in on himself.

“No shit have I’ve been keeping count!” the redhead scoffs, slapping his hand on his own thigh for emphasis. “ _Twenty-nine times_ in just under _eight months_ is a lot of fucking tries, you know!”

“…Oh.”

“Yeah, _oh_ ,” Nath sneers, watching the other cringe. “So you think, what? That a little _sorry_ is gonna make up for eight months? You think a sorry is gonna excuse you to just—to just _disappear_ , after all that?”

“You’re right! You’re right, I—” Reverser starts, shoulders up to his ears, looking terrified and deeply contrite, green eyes darting every which way. “I should—I should turn myself in—that’s _so_ much trauma I’ve put you through, I—”

Nathaniel reaches out, taking the other man by the shoulders and shaking him, hoping to shake some sense into him. Or maybe his old, bold personality back.

“That’s not it, _dumbass_! If you go and never come back or—or lock yourself up for life— I’ll have fallen in love with you for _nothing_ …!”

It’s like even time freezes in place.

Reverser stares back at him, eyes wide and mouth agape, unapologetically goggling. It takes Nathaniel a solid few seconds to realize what he’s just revealed. When he does, he clicks his teeth shut, feeling himself go red up to his ears.

“You…You…love me?” Reverser asks in a small, squeaky voice. His patchy, tanned cheeks darken in a visible blush.

Nathaniel lets out a wheeze, detaching his hands from the other’s shoulders like he’s been burned. He then buries his face in his hands. “Fucking _damnit_ …”

“You…Nathaniel…” the other says weakly, sounding dazed. “You can’t be serious. I—I _kidnapped_ you—”

“I know.”

“T- _Twenty-nine_ times, in fact—”

“I _know_.”

“How could you—could you actually _fall in love_ with me…?”

“I _know_ , alright!” Nathaniel exclaims, passing his hands violently through his hair, face aflame. “It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not logical. But I just…”

He deflates, rubbing the back of his neck, averting his gaze to his lap.

“I know I shouldn’t’ve. But I did, somewhere down the line…” he admits quietly.

When he cautiously peeks up through his lashes, it’s to Reverser staring at him like a man who’s gazing at one of the world’s wonders with his own eyes.

It’s the look of a man so completely in awe and helplessly in love, it’s clearly visible for all to see.

Nathaniel finds himself laughing, a shaky and breathless thing, his chest filling up with butterflies. “God, we’re such fucking messes, huh…?”

“Y-Yeah,” Reverser agrees with a wobbly smile. “Maybe you should’ve agreed to my date forever back. M-Might’ve saved us some time and heartbreak.”

“Maybe. Probably. Too late to find out now,” Nathaniel says, reaching out to grab onto the other man’s hand. The other clutches back, tanned skin turning white from tension with neat black nails that Nathaniel’s so familiar with.

Reverser starts to cry, then. Slow and quiet tears, his form shaking as he gasps. But he smiles while he does so, a happy and incredulous expression that alights his face.

“We’ll figure things out. O-Okay?” Nathaniel promises, feeling his eyes burn, hot tears slowly sliding down his own cheeks.

“Okay,” the other agrees, saying the word like a promise.

* * *

The thirtieth time Reverser kidnaps Nathaniel Kurtzberg, it’s back at Nathaniel’s apartment complex.

The heroes are led inside Nathaniel’s apartment, where the artist asks for a cease-fire.

Reverser starts to talk. The heroes listen.

* * *

A week later, the new Hawkmoth is found and persecuted by a team of heroes headed by Ladybug and Chat Noir. The team includes the debut of a new rooster-themed Hero named Phoenix.

Lila Rossi serves a life sentence in one of the highest maximum security facilities in Europe, just like the previous Hawkmoth, Gabriel Agreste. However, their locations are as far apart from one another as is possible, both nearly at polar opposite sides of the continent.

When asked how the heroes found the second Hawkmoth, they are vague with their answers. They simply say that they had an informant that was very helpful and had a lot of interesting information to give.

* * *

Reverser disappears completely from Paris without a trace.

The villain’s files are kept under strict lock and key. In fact, Reverser’s files are destroyed personally by Chat Noir’s Cataclysm and the digital files scrubbed completely off every database by Pegasus’ programming abilities.

Whispers and rumors in the government and criminal underworld say it’s a precaution, a way to protect the man, because he’s the one that sold out Lila Rossi to the heroes. But there’s no confirmation to said rumors.

At the same time, Marc Anciel is sentenced to eight months on parole for a (relatively tame) infraction of illegal marijuana possession.

These two events are technically not connected.

* * *

Nathaniel takes a long sip of his coffee, setting it down. The café was slow at this hour, which was nice. A good place to have a date.

“Eight months of parole? That’s not too bad,” Nathaniel says encouragingly with a smile.

The man across from him sighs, running a hand through his dark hair. “I…Yeah. I know. It could’ve been much worse…”

Nathaniel takes the other’s hand, his smile turning soft. “Hey. It’s alright. Eight months will fly by, you know?”

The other smiles back tentatively, darting his green eyes down to his cup before raising them again to meet Nathaniel’s gaze. “I know…thanks.”

“Just eight months, and it’ll all be behind us, Marc.”

“A lot can happen in eight months…” Marc trails off, smile turning sheepish, tanned cheeks darkening with a blush.

“Yeah,” Nathaniel grins, rubbing the other man’s knuckles with his thumb. “Can’t wait to see how much more I fall in love with the man that stole my heart.”

The redhead is delighted to find that he’s not the only one that goes bright red up to his ears when he blushes. He’s also glad to find that Marc’s laugh is just as bright and gorgeous as it was when the man was Reverser.

* * *

After their date, when Nathaniel and Marc walk down the street hand-in-hand and look up to see the heroes jumping across Paris’ skyline, they smile.

* * *

Nathaniel finally has a face he can draw alongside those gorgeous green eyes that riddle his latest sketchbook and have been haunting him for nearly a year now.

As Nathaniel works on the newest portrait, he peers up to see his subject leafing through the old sketches. Marc’s eyes glitter bright, a slow smirk crawling on his plump lips. He shoots a pointed look over at the artist. “You sure it wasn’t love at first sight for you? Or the first time you met my eyes, technically.”

The redhead huffs, reaching over to smack his boyfriend on the shoulder, who giggles at his own lame joke. “It’s not my fault, okay! Your villain design being all monochromatic colors made your gorgeous eyes pop even more. They’re really hard to forget…”

Marc’s giggles turn into full-blown laughter. “Ha! Oh my _God_ , Nathaniel. That’s just about th-the nerdiest reason you could’ve ever given—”

“Shut up! Like _you_ would have a better reason,” the artist pouts, stretching out his foot to lightly kick at the other’s calf. “Now stop moving, I’m trying to draw you properly.”

“Alright, alright,” the other says through his laughter, smile wide and toothy. His teeth were bright white against his tanned skin, like one might expect from someone starring in a toothpaste commercial.

Actually, Marc was so stunningly attractive, it was strange that he wasn’t a model. Maybe that’s why Lila had roped Marc in as one of her Akuma. She’d thought he was pretty enough to seduce someone important over to her side and get info on the heroes.

Too bad that backfired spectacularly. Too bad for _her_ , that is. Nathaniel is currently reaping the rewards of her decision.

“You know, you have gorgeous eyes too.”

The artist blinks, taken aback by the sudden statement. He flicks his gaze up to see Marc smiling back at him, a crooked and charming expression that wouldn’t have been out of place on Reverser’s duo-colored face.

“They’re such a clear blue, every time I look into your eyes, it’s like watching the ocean’s waves be illuminated by the daylight’s sun.”

Nathaniel finds his face going warm at the compliment. “Stop flirting with me,” the artist huffs, flustered. “You don’t need to go out of your way or anything. I’m literally dating you.”

“I’m just telling the truth,” the other shrugs, sounding so bluntly honest it gives Nathaniel pause. Marc’s smile goes soft as he goes on, “It’s not just your eyes, either. Your hair’s like a living flame, like copper being heated in a forge, a sunset and sunrise in every strand.”

The redhead finds his face burning bright. “O-oh _c'mon_ , Marc—”

“And again, your entire face goes full red when you blush, making you look like a cute little tomato,” the other teases lightly.

“ _Marc_ ,” Nathaniel whines, lowering his sketchbook so he can hide his face in one of his hands.

“You have such striking looks, it’s honestly a surprise anyone could forget you, you know?”

The artist peaks through his fingers, eyes wide. No one’s…no one’s ever said that about him before. No one’s ever really _noticed_ him like that, like the way Marc’s described him.

He’s nothing special. He’s just Nathaniel.

But his boyfriend’s looking back at him like Nathaniel’s the most stunningly gorgeous sight he’s ever laid eyes on, and something else. Like Nathaniel’s hung the moon and stars—no, that he _is_ the moon and stars.

“Your talents are what caught my attention at first, of course. Someone so young, yet so accomplished, and such a master of their craft…The hard work and love put into your comics… The absolute honesty and genuine personality behind it all…” Marc says in the tone of one going through a religious experience, of utter rapture.

“You’re so incredible, Nathaniel. And on top of that, you’re kind, and forgiving, and strong. And you’re cute to boot,” the other chuckles warmly, propping his head against his hand, a completely lovesick expression painted on his face. “You look and act like a bonfire incarnate, all wild flames and heat. It’s a wonder I never burned and turned to ash getting so close to you. Like Icarus’ hubris of flying too close to the sun, leading him to tumble to his death in the sea below…”

It’s overwhelming, the way Marc speaks about him so highly, the way he’s so obviously smitten in every word he utters.

It makes Nathaniel’s chest feel like it’s expanding with a fluttering hoard of butterflies, so many that it’ll cause him to fly through the sky so he can scream his adoration from the rooftops.

It also makes him feel flustered and like he’s having his first crush all over again. Nathaniel hasn’t exactly had much luck in the past when it comes to romance—even before the whole issue of Marc being a former villain that had kidnapped him constantly— so having his boyfriend be so obviously into him still throws him for a loop.

“Why do—why’re you s-so _romantic_? Geeze,” Nathaniel mutters out, rubbing at his burning cheek and hunching slightly. “You’re even using _metaphors_ and shit. I can’t really keep up with that.”

The other chuckles, soft and warm, before gently taking the redhead by the chin and leaning in. “You don’t need to. The fact that you’re drawing me is amazing and makes me feel loved already,” Marc mutters with a small smile, his thumb tracing Nathaniel’s bottom lip. “And I’ve never really had someone to be so romantic with before… So you’re getting all of my love and attention, I’m afraid.”

“S-Stop making it sound like, like it’s a bad thing,” Nathaniel manages to get out through his dry throat, heart thumping staccato, before Marc’s lips are on his and their breaths mingle.

Nathaniel doesn’t finish Marc’s portrait that evening, but he doesn’t particularly mind, and neither does his model.

* * *

The newest issue of The Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir comic book is released.

On the front cover, under Nathaniel Kurtzberg’s name as creator, ‘M. Anciel’ is credited as the writer for the issue.

The comic introduces two new heroes. The rooster-themed hero Phoenix, and the goat-themed hero Stardust. Stardust was a villain from a previous issue that Phoenix converts to the heroes’ side through the power of love.

No, Stardust is not an actual hero in real life that works with the real Ladybug and Chat Noir. And no, no one’s really seen the hero Phoenix since his role in capturing Lila Rossi, which was his sole appearance to date.

The fans quickly come to love Phoenix and Stardust anyways.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Why do I ever think my fics will be short akdljfasl
> 
> Anyways!! Writing Reverser is very fun. Writing redeemed Reverser (aka Marc) is very fun. Writing Nath not knowing how to deal with a hot guy flirting with him and kidnapping him is fun.
> 
> In this AU, a lot of specific things are different than canon:  
> Marc and Nath never meet/go to the same school.  
> Bustier's 'Akuma Class' is famous in France. Nathaniel's famous both through his status as a part of the Akuma Class, and his comic.  
> Gabriel gets captured before the kids graduate highschool, but Lila takes his place as Hawkmoth post-graduation.  
> Lila operates by keeping to the shadows versus Gabriel's more bombastic way of being a villain. No one knows anything about the newest Hawkmoth. That's why Ladybug and Chat Noir take Reverser's truce and listen to his intel.  
> Lila's way of Akumatizing people is different as well. Marc isn't being Akumatized 30 times. It's more like he keeps his powers from his first Akumatization. Think of more traditional comic book villains versus the show's way of making villains.  
> Ladybug and Chat Noir are still mostly on their own, with the occassional temp hero. Except they assemble a Hero Team to take down Hawkmoth and Lila!Hawkmoth.


End file.
